Electric flatiron



May 25, 1953 c. ANDERSON ErAL 2,639,520

I ELECTRIC FLATIRON Filed sept. 2'?, 1951 -3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJV @au inmensa/v 8( G/LaE/rr a/:MEC

May 26, 1953 c. ANDERSON ErAL 2,639,520

ELECTRIC FLATIRON Filed Sept. 27, 1951 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 26, 1953 c. ANDERSON ET AL 2,639,520

ELECTRIC FLATIRON AFiled Sept. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 8f G/L BER T HP/YMEC l." BY

Patented May 26, 1953 UNITE STATE.

AT E;

ELECTRIC FLATIRON Carl Anderson, Morningdale, Mass., and Gilbert Arlarnec, Bronx, N. Y.; said Adamec assigner to said Anderson 7 Claims.

This invention relates to electric flat irons.

Itis an object of the oresent invention to pro vde in an electric flat iron a temperature indicator so that the operator can, at all times, know the exact temperature of the iron a thermostat operable to keen the fiat iron Within the desirerl rante to which the thermostat has been set for different kinds of materials vwhich are beingironed, and thereby to prevent the-danaging of these materials.

It is another object of the invention to provide in an electric ilat iron a cloclr which is autov matically Wound as thethermostat .s set by the operating member so that the operator will at all timesvhave a clocl: available so that she may time herselfv on the ironinV of "erent pieces of work which she is doing and also that she will have readily available It is another object of invention to provide an electric nat iron .re there pro-y videdv adequate insulation to prevent. the radiation of heat wherein there is provided in the iron a fan device operated by the thermostat setting,T mechanism and located between a bottom part anti a top ,wart to circulate air therebetween to further prevent the iron from. radiating upwardly great heat.

Other objects of the invention are` to provide an electric iron having a cooling means; a clock, a thermostat set and ted by a common operating. member, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, a minimum numberv oi n light i1 weight', compact, of pleasingr anpeat vnce and. rient in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may had to the following lietailed description tal: panying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electric iron embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view tal-sien generally on line of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fie 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary and perspective viof the eicel; and. thermostat setting member connected. with the clocl: to wind, the saine and the wiring inclucling the thermostat and the heating coils.

is an enlarged s Fig'. 5

ook to nre-vr 'tive view of the parts for operating t -1 in connection with the accom-- Fig. E is a perspective View ofthe top of the indicating ',olate along which the thermostat setting member slides and through which a thermoineter can be observed. the thermometer being shown in full and as well shown in connection With the bottom plate part.

Referring now tothe gures, l0 represents a bottom part anni l! represents generally the top casing. The 'bottom part lll includes a heavy l nie-ee l2 liavine: a smooth bottom flat iron recess l at its top as indicated at 4'tric heatingA coils, it, lying Within the lil and oever plate i6, recessed on its under side to receive the heating coils lli andy to match Wlto. 'the reoess l of the heavy bottom plate. This cover plate S5 is made secure to the bottoni plate by screws ll. The cover plate is heavily insulated by insulating material i8 to prevent as far as possible, the radiation of heat from the bottom part toward the handle part. Cable Wires lli and run outwardly from the heating coils and one of these cords extends to plug socket 2l on the casing part ll and` at the rear thereof.

Spacing elements 22 and 23 extend through the insulation lil engage with the cover plate l-of the bottom part. These spacing elements are shouldered resneftively as indicated at 2li and 255 to support an insulating plate 23V on the underside of the o sing il. The casing is ac cordingly made secure to the bottoni part and held spacezi thereirom by the spacing' elements and 2li and by screws 2l and. t respectively passing through transverse bar elements Eil and Sil lying over the togo of the insulating plate Liiand leading respectively through the spacing elements and 23 into threaded engagement with threaded openings in the cover plate l5 or the bottom part it.

The members lSl and and are integral i the casina` 3i hav 1g portions 33 and rl'fh top portion are ont av.

3 meshing with a setting gear 41 of the clock mechanism 39.

The plate 4i carries a bracket 48 and has a horizontally extending portion 4S and an upright portion 59.

The bracket 48 has on its horizontally extending portion i9 an upstanding bifurcated projection 49 and the vertical portion E@ has a bifurcated projection 59. These bifurcated projections support a flexible cable shaft l which at its forward end has a coupling member 52 that clutches a square winding shaft 53 of the clock mechanism 39. The rearward end of the iiexible cable 5l has overloading clutch device 54 with relatively adjustable parts 55 and 56. These parts have ball elements 5i' normally held in recesses 58 ci the part 55 by biasing springs 59 in the part 56. The part 56 has a gear 68 secured thereto which lies rearwardly of the projection 49. The part 5S is journalled in the projection 49 and the clutch parts 55 and 5S will normally turn the cable 5l so as to wind the shaft 53 of the clock mechanism. Should the clock mechanism be alreac'y tightly wound. there will be slippage of part 5G over the part 55. Jcurnalled on the member 3E is a shaft Bl to which gear 62 is nxed. This gear G2 meshes with the gear GI] and with a rack and with teeth 35 on the under side thereof.

This rack tt is slidable through the handle part i i and under the top portion 32 of the cover member 3l. The top portion 32 has elongated slot 64 upwardly through which extends an operating handle 65 on the rear end of the rack S3. On the upper end of the handle 85 is a button B. Indicating arms t? and F55 extend outwardly from the button and from the operating and are slidable over a plate GB having temperature indications 59 and lil on the respective opposite sides thereof. The indications 8.1 will indicate the location to which the button 3G is moved for the different materials being ironed. The indicating point will be moved to the indications 'I8 for temperature readings for a thermometer l'l having a bulb l2 disposed in the bottom part i0. The indications are on a plate 'I3 which is connected by screws 'I4 to the top portion 32 and which itself has an elongated opening 'l5 registering with the opening Eid in the top portion 32 and an elongated opening 'IG along which a bent portion of a thermometer tube 7i extends, Fig. '7. The thermometer bulb l2 is held in the bottom part I2 by a threaded member ll engaging with cover member i6 of the bottom part.

It will be apparent that as the rack. 63 is adjusted each time, the clock 39 will be wound and if it is already tightly wound, then the clutch 54' will permit slippage so that further winding will not be effected.

.T-.n order to be certain that heat is not radiated from the bottom part i8 toward the handle and in addition to the insulating members i8 and 26, there is provided in the space between the insulating members a ian blade '58. This fan blade has a shaft 18 and coupling plate I80 which are secured to gear plate 8l. The shaft 'i9 is journaled in a cup shaped bracket member 82 which is secured to the underside or bracket 48. The shaft 'i9 extends downwardly through an opening '33 in the insulating pla-te 2G. The blade 'i8 swings free on the lower end of the shaft T9 and as the shaft l is stepped about by the plate 8|, the fan blade is kept in rotation and made to spin. The plate t! moves in a step to step fashion by escapement device 84, resisting the continued turning power of coil spring 85 anchored at 86 to the gear plate 8|. The inner end of the spring 85 is anchored at 8'! to a shaft 88 and has a ratchet wheel 89 thereon which cooperates with a pawl 9i that prevents the unwinding of the spring 85 as it is wound. A one-way clutch arrangement 92 is provided between shaft 88 and a shaft $3 which has a gear 94 thereon that coacts with gear teeth G3 of the rack 63, and accordingly as the rack 63 is adjusted each time the iron is used, the spring 85 for operating the fan blade 78, wound. The one-way clutch 92 prevents overwinding of the spring 85.

Accordingly, air is taken into the space between the insulating plates I8 and 25 from the exterior of the iron and will be discharged outwardly through other openings whereby to keep a circulation of air between the insulating plate and to remove the heated air. This provides an air cooling means to prevent the electric iron from becoming overheated and diiiicult to handle. There will be through this means little radiation toward the handle which is grasped by the user. Holes 95 through which air can pass are provided in the side portions 33 and 34.

The rack t3 has a laterally extending fork member S6 secured thereto which receives an upstanding rod 37 oi a thermostat arm 98 extending from thermostat 99. This thermostat has terminals 193 and il. The wire 2O connects with the terminal 98 and a wire I2 connects with a terminal lill and extends to plug receptacle 2i on the rear end of the handle part I l to ,vhich the iron plug is releasably connected. Accordingly, the same rack 63 serves several functions. It serves to wind the clock, wind the air ian mechanism, adjust the thermostat and to indicate the position of adjustment of the thermostat. It should be further apparent that there has been provided an air cooling means whereby heated air in the space between the .insulating members is removed so that there will be little heating of the upper insulating member 26.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electric iron comprising a bottom having heating elements therein, a top casing having top and side portions, spacing elements securing said bottom and said casing and providing air spaces between the bottom and the casing, air fan means lying in the space between the bottom the casing, operating mechanism carried by said iron for operating said air fan means, and settable thermostat means connected with the heating elements of the bottom retained by the top casing, said operating mechanism for the air including a spring element, and a common opeia-ting element winding the spring element and for adjusting the thermostat means.

2. An electric iron comprising a bottom having heating elements therein, a top casing having top and side portions, spacing elements securing said bottom and said casing and providing air spaces between the bottom and the casing, air fan means lying in the space between the bottom and the casing, operating mechanism carried by said iron for operating said air ian means, and a clock mechanism mounted on the casing, shaft means for winding the clock mechanism, said air fan operating means including a spring element and a common operating member adjustable to wind the air fan operating mechanism and the clock mechanism mounted on the casing part.

3. An electric iron comprising a bottom and a top casing connected to the bottom, said bottom having heating elements, thermostat means connected to the heating elements and carried by the casing, said thermostat means having a settable arm, a clock mechanism mounted on the casing, shaft means for winding the clock mechanism and a common operating member connected to the clock mechanism and to the settable arm of the thermostat means whereby upon the thermostat means being set each time the clock mechanism will be wound.

4. An electric iron comprising a bottom and a top casing connected to the bottom, said bottom having heating elements, thermostat means connected to the heating ele-ments and carried by the casing, said thermostat means having a settable arm, a clock mechanism mounted on the casing and a commen operating member con-- nected te the clock mechanism and to the settable arm of the thermostat means whereby upon the thermostat means being set each time the clock mechanism will be wound, and a flexible shaft provided with the clock mechanism and including clutch means whereby upon the clutch mechanism being fully wound, the operating member can be disengaged therefrom within the flexible shaft means.

5. An electric iron, as defined in claim 2, and thermostat means connected to the heating elements and carried within the casing, said thermostat means having a settable arm and said common member for the air fan operating mechanism and the clock mechanism connected to the settable arm of the thermostat means whereby upon each time the thermostat means is set, the clock mechanism and the air fan mechanism will be wound.

6. An electric iron, as deiined in claim 3, and an air ian means disposed between the bottom and the top casing and a winding spring mechanism for operating the same, said winding spring means connected with the common operating member for the thermostat and the clock mechanism whereby to be simultaneously operated thereby.

7. An electric iron, as defined in claim 6, and said operating member having two rows 01 rack teeth and said shaft means for winding the clock mechanism having gear means operable upon one row of rack teeth and said winding spring means for the air fan means having gear connection with the other row of rack teeth to be driven by the same.

CARL ANDERSON. GILBERT ADAMEC.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,626,616 Lanak May 3, 1927 2,929,112 Mitzen Jan. 28, 1936 2,323,414 Olving July 6, 1943 2,325,017 Gough July 20, 1943 2,362,590 Smith Nov. 14, 1944 2,373,345 Scharf Apr. 10, 1945 2,398,579 Clark et al. Apr. 16, 1946 

